The Dawn Will Come
by Kirin RaKash
Summary: When Delia Ketchum confronts her past, she finds herself in the middle of a conflict that could change the world forever.
1. Light

**Disclaimer's Notice**: I don't own Pokemon. I am just borrowing the characters and settings to play with for a while. I promise I'll put them right back where I found them!

* * *

"_No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness."_

_Aristotle

* * *

_

Delia gazed out the kitchen window. Suddenly, she saw the person again. A man in a Team Rocket uniform darted out of the bushes, made his way to the side of the house, glanced around, and then disappeared over the fence. Various members of the criminal organization had been doing the exact same thing all week long. Professor Oak had recommended that she call the police, but Delia was hesitant. She suspected that the members of Team Rocket might have a good reason for being there.

Seeing no further sign of the man, Delia Ketchum climbed up the stairs and entered her bedroom. She jerked open the drawer to her nightstand and pulled out the envelope lying beneath her journal. For what seemed like the thousandth time, she examined the tiny package. There were no markings that told where the envelope came from. Delia's address was printed in neat, loose, slightly feminine letters. Although the writing on the outside was unfamiliar, she knew the handwriting on the paper within well. Delia reread the letter although she had memorized it long ago.

_Delia,_

_Please be careful about who you let into your home and make sure that your doors and windows are tightly closed and locked at night. A certain member of Team Rocket may try to use you to gain a certain position in the organization. I can't say anymore than that in case this message should fall into the wrong hands. However, I am sure that you understand my meaning._

_Sincerely,_

_Giovanni Veraladez_

With a shaking hand, Delia tucked the letter back into the envelope. For nearly fourteen years, she and Giovanni had not contacted each other. They had ended their relationship when Ash was still a baby. They had still loved each other, but Giovanni had been forced to become the leader of Team Rocket. He could have stepped down, but he knew that he had to stay, to keep his second-in-command officer from taking over. Neither of them had wanted to raise a child under the influence of Team Rocket, especially when they could be in danger from Giovanni's enemies.

Delia replaced the letter and rummaged around in the drawer until she found what she was looking for. The photograph was fairly old and bent in places, but it was precious to Delia. A younger, carefree version of herself was cradling Ash in her arms and leaning back against a handsome young man standing behind her. He had very dark brown hair, dark eyes, and his strong arms were wrapped around both Delia and Ash. They were both smiling as the sun beat down of them.

"Damn you, Malinite," Delia murmured aloud. "You ruined everything for us."

Sylvestor Malinite had been placed second-in-command of Team Rocket by Giovanni's mother. He had been battling Giovanni for control of the organization ever since Madame Boss died. Malinite was, without a doubt, the 'certain member of Team Rocket' Giovanni had referred to in his letter. Delia felt tears welling up and hastily put away the picture before she started crying.

"Is it normal to love someone you haven't seen in fourteen years?" she demanded.

Silence was the only reply.

"I suppose talking to yourself isn't normal either," she remarked. "I'm alone too much."

A quick glance out the window revealed that the man she had seen earlier was once again lurking outside. Delia found herself in a reckless mood and decided to go see exactly who was behind the little spy network set up around her house.

The man was poking through the bushes when Delia crept up behind him. She grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. The Rocket was so startled, he toppled over.

"What are you doing on my property?" she snapped.

The man gazed up at her with a dazed expression on his face. He was more of a boy, really. He couldn't be older than Brock. But being young didn't make Delia have mercy on him.

"Answer me, or I'll call the police! Who sent you?"

He managed to scramble to his feet and run. Delia didn't try to catch him. She just stared after the retreating figure feeling a surge of emotion. Confusion, helplessness, longing. . .

Delia made up her mind. She was going to get answers to all her questions that night.


	2. Darkness

"_No one is ever truly evil; just misguided."_

_From Kencyclopedia_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------_

Giovanni Veraladez was finishing up some paperwork as he ate lunch. It was a slow day, and he'd probably have most of the afternoon to himself if he could just get this one long report done...

Kya Moonblade, an engineer for Pokemon World, sat across the desk from him. A math whiz, she was calculating Team Rocket's total profits for the month. Giovanni had never been any good at math. If it weren't for Kya, he'd waste hours trying to find a mistake embedded in his calculations.

"Done," Kya announced, shoving the packet of papers in her boss's general direction. "Total profit is around three million dollars. I think you might be overspending in the science department. You're not trying to make some freaky cloned Pokemon again, are you?"

Giovanni sighed. He could only vaguely remember Mewtwo, but there were plenty of people who had been able to fill in the gaps in his memory.

"No, Mewtwo was a bad idea. I nearly got myself killed."

"I told you it was stupid," Kya said smugly.

Giovanni yelled at her, but that was pretty pointless because Kya never listened to him. She was also Giovanni's only employee who ever dared to criticize The Boss. But despite all their arguing, Kya and the Viridian City gym leader were actually good friends.

They were interrupted by the guard outside the office door who sort of served as a secretary.

"Sir, Vatchel Erzon is here to see you." Kya stood up and moved to the brown armchair in the corner so she wouldn't be in the way.

Vatchel was a tall, skinny boy with messy brown hair, shimmering blue eyes, and was around eighteen. He was too nice to be in Team Rocket, Kya decided. She couldn't picture him stealing anything.

"Sir, I was making sure none of Malinite's spies were around Delia Ketchum's house, like you told me to. But Ms. Ketchum saw me. She wanted to know what I was doing there."

Kya struggled to suppress a giggle as Vatchel closed his eyes and flinched. A rumor had started somewhere that Giovanni killed henchmen who displeased him. All he ever did was yell, or if he was in a really bad mood he'd sometimes throw things. But Giovanni never actually hurt anyone.

"Very well," the leader of Team Rocket seemed fairly unconcerned. "Kya, will you take Vatchel home? I'll reassign you in the morning," he dismissed the boy.

* * *

Kya normally lived in Celedon City. When she was in town, Giovanni let her stay in his mansion on the outskirts of the Viridian Forest. Kya returned there after she dropped Vatchel off, figuring no one needed her at the gym.

Kya turned on the computer in the office checked her e-mail. Her boyfriend had sent an angry-sounding message demanding to know where she was and why she wasn't answering her phone. Kya sighed. Their relationship was strained to a breaking point.

She chose to ignore the note and helped herself to a pint of cookie dough ice cream. Why couldn't everything just be simple?

Around nine that evening, the phone rang at the Veraladez mansion. Giovanni still wasn't home, so Kya answered.

"I need to speak to Giovanni Veraladez," a cold voice on the other end snarled.

Kya was glad she hadn't turned on the videophone's camera or monitor. "May I ask who's speaking?"

"Sylvestor Malinite. And who the hell is this?"

Kya's blood froze. "This is, um. . . Betty Smith, Mr. Veraladez's maid," she managed to lie. Giovanni was actually too much of a neat-freak to need a maid, but Malinite didn't need to know that. "My boss isn't home at the moment."

There was an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to the Viridian City Gym. Please call your boss and tell him to go to the gym if he isn't already there. I'll be there in an hour."

The line went dead.

Kya started to dial the gym's number when she remembered that Malinite had the place bugged. They never talked over the phone, in case one of them let something slip. Giovanni was practically the only person she knew who didn't own a cell phone (he had never bothered to replace the one his Persian chewed up), so contacting him that way was not an option. Kya grabbed the keys and ran for Giovanni's car, praying that the traffic wasn't bad. It was a half hour drive as it was.


	3. The Clouds Gather

"_An idea that is developed and put into action is more valuable than an idea that exists only as an idea."_

_Buddha_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

That evening, Delia changed from her pink skirt and purple blouse into a pair of dark pants and a black tank top. It seemed silly to her, but the clothes made her feel rebellious. Delia normally appeared to be a sweet single mother who was a nurse at Pallet United Hospital. Few could imagine that she had a slight wild side.

It was about an hour's drive to Viridian City. Delia listened to heavy metal, although she hated it. It helped keep her rebel spirit up. If she had a reality check now, she would lose her courage. The time seemed to fly by. Delia found herself parking her car behind the Viridian City Gym , ready to infiltrate the Team Rocket Headquarters.

The backside of the building was built from rough stone blocks. Due to her strict exercise regimen, Delia easily scaled the wall and crouched on the flat roof. It was ridiculously simple to remove the cheap glass skylight and drop down onto the floor below.

Even though the gym had been destroyed a couple years earlier, Giovanni appeared to have rebuilt it in exactly the same style as the old one. If her memory was correct, the gym leader's office was on the floor beneath her.

Silently, Delia crept down the empty stairwell. She found herself between a door that lead to the actual gym and what appeared to be small apartments for the use of Team Rocket devotees. This floor was laid out differently than it's predecessor. Delia wasn't sure where she had to go.

Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching. There was a narrow hallway to the left, and that was the only thing that came close to a hiding place. Panic pierced the steely calm Delia had been clinging to. Why was she here? Voices drew closer, two women were arguing about something. . . Delia was frozen in place. She didn't think they'd be happy to discover an intruder.

Someone grabbed Delia from behind and pulled her into the hallway. She almost screamed, but forced herself to remain quiet when she remembered there was no one to help..

"It's me. Get in here!" the person hissed.

Delia had been pulled into a small, unfurnished room. It had a green tile floor, white walls, and no windows. The only light came from a bare bulb on the ceiling.

"Giovanni!" Delia gasped, recognizing the person. "What-- Let go of me!"

The leader of Team Rocket abruptly let go of her wrist. Delia, who had been expecting a fight, stumbled back a step.

"Delia," Giovanni said mildly, "it's a surprise to see you here."

The woman tried to read her former boyfriend's expression. He wasn't angry. . . He wasn't showing any emotion, but Delia could swear she heard a tiny note of amusement in his voice.

Over the years, Delia had imagined almost every possible thing that could occur if she saw Giovanni again. Most of them ended with the two of them living happily ever after. It crossed her mind to say something that was at least friendly. But something entirely different came out of her mouth.

"What's going on? Why am I being stalked!" Delia snarled.

Giovanni's face darkened.

"This isn't a safe place to talk," he spoke softly. "Come with me."

Giovanni led the way to his office which turned out to be another floor below them.He gestured to a chair, implying that she should sit. Delia ignored him and defiantly remained standing.

"Until a few months ago, Malinite has only been a disruptive nuisance. He's never caused any serious harm," Giovanni explained, sitting behind his large oak desk. "But recently, he has been getting formerly loyal members of Team Rocket to join him. The organization is now almost divided in half. Those who are still faithful to me and the original Team Rocket are calling themselves Loyalists, and Malinite controls the other half, known as the Transmuters."

"And who was that boy sneaking around my house?" Delia demanded when Giovanni paused.

"His name is Vatchel Erzon. Malinite called me the other day and gave me a list of people that he would hurt if I didn't surrender Team Rocket to him. You were one of the people he was threatening, so I've been sending a few employees to make sure nothing happens to you."

Delia tried to think of a response, but was saved from answering by footsteps crashing up the stairs outside the office. The doorknob rattled, but Giovanni had locked the door as soon as they had entered. Someone pounded on the door.

"Let me in! It's an emergency!" a woman outside shouted.

Giovanni pressed a button on his desk that caused the door to pop open. A young woman with long blonde hair and large green eyes surged inside.

"Malinite's coming," she gasped, pausing to catch her breath. "He'll be here. . . in a few minutes."

Giovanni was on his feet instantly. Yanking open one of the desk's drawers, he stuffed a wad of manila envelopes into the newcomer's arms.

"You both need to get out of here," Giovanni ordered.

He dragged aside a heavy rug that covered the floor. Beneath it lay a nearly invisible trap door. The woman opened the door and motioned for Delia to follow her down the ladder and into a dimly lit tunnel. Giovanni closed the door after them. Delia heard him pull the rug back into place.

"So, who are you?" the golden-haired woman asked, breaking the silence.

"My name is Delia Ketchum," she replied. "And you are?"

"You're Delia Ketchum? I'm Kya Moonblade."

"You've heard of me?" Delia was surprised.

Kya, who was engrossed in digging through a trunk in the corner, was silent for a moment.

"Giovanni talks about you sometimes."

Kya began pulling on a Team Rocket uniform from the trunk over her clothes. She tossed one to Delia, telling her to try it on. The black suit was slightly ill-fitting, but it served as a decent disguise. They tucked their hair up under matching black hats and began making their way toward the end of the tunnel.

The shaft ended at a door that led to the gym's basement. Kya led the way to the parking lot. Thankfully, the two women didn't encounter anyone.

"I have my car parked behind the gym," Delia informed Kya as they climbed into Giovanni's sleek black car.

"We can get it in the morning," Kya responded, pulling out onto a back road. "You should probably stay at the mansion overnight. It will be safe there."

The roads were clear and their trip was short. Kya maneuvered the car into the garage, and the pair set off across the lawn toward the Veraladez mansion.

Every step of the way, memories flooded Delia's mind.


	4. Memeories

"_Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly flips over. Pinning you underneath. At night. The ice weasels come."_

_Matt Groening (appears in The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashers_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Delia's relationship with Givanni had started out simple. They were attending the same university and had met in an on-campus coffee shop. After that, they slowly moved into a romantic relationship.

Once they graduated, Delia found herself struggling to come up with enough money to take care of her basic needs. Seeing that she was having trouble, Giovanni offered to let her stay in the Veraladez Mansion. That was when they got serious.

Immediately after Delia found out that she was pregnant, Giovanni bought a small house in Pallet Town. They were happy in the country, away from the chaos of Viridian City. Givanni was mostly just relieved to escape his mother.

But things fell apart just a few weeks after Ash was born. Madame Boss died in a sudden accident, forcing Team Rocket into her son's hands.

_Delia stood beside Giovanni as the casket was lowered into the cold ground. Neither of them was saddened by Madame Boss's death. Giovanni hated his mother, and Delia had never really met her._

_There was a small, quiet service beside the grave. Besides the two of them, there were just a few elite members of Team Rocket and a priest. The grave was filled, and the group broke up in silence._

_After the funeral, Delia and Giovanni went to the Viridian City Gym to begin the tedious process of sorting through Ms. Veraladez's possessions. They had left Ash with a friend for the day, so there wouldn't be any interruptions._

_As Delia was trying to decide what to do with an old, chipped vase, there was a sharp rap on the door._

_"I thought we locked the entrance," Delia muttered irritably._

_"Some of my mother's friends have keys," Giovanni replied. "I'll get it."_

_A lean young man with long black hair and golden eyes strode into the office. Delia found herself instantly disliking him._

_"Giovanni!" the man exclaimed. "I am so sorry to hear about your mother's untimely death."_

_"What do you want, Sylvestor?" Giovanni snapped._

_So this was the infamous Sylvestor Malinite, Delia realized. No wonder she didn't like him._

_Maliite smiled coldly. "I have heard that you are stepping down as leader of Team Rocket."_

_"I'm considering it," Giovanni said stiffly._

_"That would make me in charge. You'll be doing the right thing by stepping down. If you allow me to be blunt, you don't have what it takes to make Team Rocket prosper. Madame Boss was too soft with her no-kill policy and similar rules. You would no doubt be even softer,"_

_Givanni suddenly had a vision of Malinite in control. Innocent people and pokemon died, for no other reason than because they were worthless to Team Rocket. Entire towns were pillaged, in search of anything valuable. Bodies were left to rot in the streets. . . That was just the beginning. Giovanni knew he couldn't let that happen._

_"Sylvestor, the day I step down as leader of Team Rocket will be the day find someone to replace you."_

_"You can't fire me!" Malinite was livid. "Half of Team Rocket will rebel if I'm not here!"_

_"I'm not getting rid of anyone," Giovanni responded calmly. "But from now on, I am the leader of Team Rocket."_

They had not expected it to take long to hand Team Rocket off to someone else. But it soon became apparent that Malinite had more power in Team Rocket than Giovanni had thought.

Many Rocket cells stationed in the Orange Islands and parts of Johto only took orders from Malinite. Giovanni was confident that he could foil any attempt to assassinate him, but he didn't know anyone else on his side that would be able to avoid Malinite's wrath. To complicate the situation, some members refused to follow anyone that was not in Madame Boss's bloodline. There would be chaos among those individuals if he quit, and eventually, Malinite would win them over to his side.

Reluctantly, Giovanni resigned himself to being the organization's leader. It was then, after realizing that quitting Team Rocket wouldn't be possible for years, maybe even decades, that Giovanni and Delia's relationship was forced to end.

_Giovanni put Ash to bed like he always did. It was strange to think that this was the last time he'd ever tuck his son in. For all he knew, he might never see the boy again._

_He made his way downstairs, and found Delia sitting on the couch, tears in her luminous brown eyes._

_"Don't cry," he told her, sitting beside her and pulling her close. "We're doing the right thing."_

_"How can it be the right thing if it hurts so much?" Delia sobbed. "What if I never see you again?"_

_"We'll meet again," Giovanni assured her, although he himself didn't know if that was true. . ._

_For a long time, they just sat there, talking in low voices._

_"I should go," Giovanni announced at last._

_He stood and headed for the door. Delia, who felt like she was trapped in a bad dream, followed._

_"I love you," she told him._

_Giovanni managed a smile. "I love you too."_

_He gave her one last kiss and then vanished out the door._

_The last time Delia saw Giovanni, he was walking away from the house and out of her life._


	5. New Beginnings

_"Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once"  
Lillian Dickson_

* * *

Delia drifted slowly to wakefulness. She was momentarily confused. This wasn't her bed or her room. Slowly, the memory of the previous night's event came back to her. . . It all seemed like a dream. Last she saw Giovanni, he was about to come face to face with Sylvestor Malinite. Delia hoped he was all right.

Sliding out of bed, she slipped into some clothes that Kya had let her borrow the night before. The plain shirt and jeans hung loosely on her petite frame, and she had to roll up the legs on jeans to keep herself from tripping. She looked disheveled, but she couldn't help that.

The Veraladez Mansion was deserted. The house was eerily silent. A glance out the window revealed nothing but Giovanni's Persian, basking in the sunlight.

In the kitchen she found a note from Giovanni saying that he'd be back around noon. Delia shrugged and began going through the cupboards in search of food. At least she knew that he was still alive.

* * *

A few hours later, Giovanni returned and the two of them sat down in his study. It was an impressive room with thick rugs and floor to ceiling bookcases covering the walls.

"Delia, would you be willing to do something for Team Rocket?" Giovanni asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Like what?" Delia asked. She felt strangely uncomfortable in Giovanni's presence, but she wasn't really sure why. Maybe it was because he seemed. . . different.

"I don't know," he answered after a pause. "But I'm sure I could find something that needs to be done in Pallet Town. We need more help from outside the organization. Besides Kya and a few others, the only people I have to count on are employees that might not be trustworthy," Giovanni's stern face relaxed into a small smile. "I know I can trust you, Delia."

"Thank you," Delia blushed. For all he knew, she could be willing to betray him. "I'll do whatever you want me to, but I'd rather get out of Pallet Town for a while, if you don't mind. I have weeks worth of vacation time saved up, so no one will care if I leave my job for a while."

"In that case, why don't you attend the Team Rocket Loyalist meeting in four days? You might find some of it interesting," Giovanni remarked.

Delia hesitated... then she agreed to go.

* * *

A short while later, Delia and Giovanni were walking through Viridian Forest, part of which was on the Veraladez property.

Delia told Giovanni about what had happened in her life since they had last seen each other. She told him about Ash and his friends. In detail, she described all of Ash's triumphs and downfalls. She mentioned all the changes that had taken place in Pallet Town. Giovanni listened, interrupting occasionally to ask a question, but he was mostly silent. She went on and on until they had reached a small stream that they used to come to all the time when they were younger. It was then she realized that she had exhausted her store of conversation topics.

"So, what have you been doing all of these years?" Delia asked cheerfully.

Giovanni sighed and turned away from her.

"You don't want to know," he said at last.

"No really, I do," Delia pressed him stubbornly.

"If you really need to find out," Giovanni said darkly, "I've become exactly like my mother. For years, all I cared about was profit and power."

Delia heard pain and bitterness in his voice. She wished there was some way she could help him, but she couldn't figure out how. . .

The blazing afternoon sun filtered through the branches above them. A tree a few feet away caught Delia's attention. Her and Giovanni's initials, encircled by a heart, were carved into the bark. Delia remembered making the marks herself.

Could her life ever be like that again?


	6. Running

_"What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet"  
Act II, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet_

* * *

After she and Giovanni returned from their walk, they found Kya, who had been helping Domino coordinate the Loyalist meeting, waiting for them. 

Delia loitered nearby while Kya and Giovanni talked about the upcoming gathering. They seemed to be arguing over whether Team Rocket funds could be used to hire circus performers and provide free refreshments.

On their way back, Delia had tried to get Giovanni to tell her what had happened during his confrontation with Malinite, but he refused to say anything about it. However, he did warn her not to leave the mansion, which was heavily guarded, by herself, so she assumed Malinite had been making his usual threats.

She still needed to return home and pack, so she asked Kya to go with her.

"I've only been to Pallet Town a couple times before. It's such a nice little town," Kya gushed as Delia turned onto the main road.

Someone had returned Delia's car during the night.

"It's a nice place to live, but I get bored there sometimes," Delia murmured. "By the way, do you mind if we stay in Pallet for a while?"

"I don't mind. I never really do much outside of work," Kya replied.

Delia smiled. "Great! I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to one of my best friends, Professor Samuel Oak. I was planning on going out to dinner with him, and it wouldbe nice if you could come."

Delia cast a sideways glance at Kya. To her surprise, a worried expression flickered across the young woman's face. Then it vanished almost instantly, replaced by Kya's usual cheerful expression.

"Thanks for inviting me. I can't wait to meet Professor Oak," Kya was glad she managed to keep her voice level.

* * *

With her Mr. Mime and Kya's help, Delia packed and loaded her car quickly. She called Professor Oak, who said he'd come over in a few minutes. While they waited, she convinced Mimey to get into a Pokeball. She didn't want to leave the poor Pokemon home alone for so long. She was so busy focusing on her Mr. Mime, that she didn't even notice Kya's restless pacing. 

"Oh, good! Here comes Samuel," Delia said, glancing out the window.

Over Delia's shoulder, Kya could see a man walking up the road towards the house.

"Uh, Delia, mind if I use your bathroom?" she choked out.

"Sure, it's the first door in the hall there," Delia realized that Kya was acting rather strange. "Are you all right?"

Kya forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll just be a minute."

Kya closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She took a few deep, calming breaths as she studied the pattern in the pink, flowery wallpaper. She knew she was being silly. Professor Oak wouldn't recognize her! The last time she had seen him, she had only been nine years old!

Outside, she heard Delia and the professor greeting each other.

If only she didn't look so much like her mother. . . True, Kya's mother was a short, round woman, whereas her daughter was taller and thinner. But, Kya reflected, staring into the mirror, they had the exact same hair, identical eyes, and similarly sculpted facial features.

She had to leave soon. Bracing herself, Kya put her hand on the doorknob. What was the worst thing that could happen if Oak knew who she was? Kya yanked the door open and joined the two people waiting for her.

* * *

They went to a pleasant little restaurant in the center of Pallet Town. To Kya's relief, Delia and Samuel were too busy talking to each other pay her much attention. She added to their conversations when required, laughed at their jokes and stories, but she mostly just tried to be invisible. 

"So, Kya Moonblade," Professor Oak said, shortly after the waiter had brought their food, "you have a very unusual name. It isn't the name you were born with, is it?"

Kya dropped her fork. Oak had figured out who she was. Why were researchers always so perceptive?

Lying won't do me any good, she decided.

"No, it's not." Kya replied in what she hoped was her normal voice. "I changed my name after I graduated from The University of Viridian."

Professor Oak opened his mouth to say something, but Delia interrupted him.

"Really? Why did you pick the name Kya Moonblade?"

Delia had just saved Kya from answering the two questions she was dreading: "Why did she change her name?" and "What did her name used to be?".

With a sigh, she explained the Kya was a shortened version of Kyakithanali, the great warrior queen of an almost forgotten tribe in the Orange Islands.

"Moonblade was the name of the queen's sword, which was said to have been given to her by the goddess of war. The legend of Kyakithanali was one of my favorite stories when I was a little girl," Kya finished.

"Wow! Speaking of the Orange Islands..." Delia changed the subject, much to Kya's immense relief.

* * *

At Professor Oak's house, a short time later, Delia and the professor sat in the living room, drinking coffee. Kya had disappeared with Tracy Sketchit, saying that watching him draw was _fascinating_. Delia realized that she was just trying to avoid Samuel. 

"What do you know about Kya?" Professor Oak asked abruptly.

"Almost nothing," Delia answered. "I just met her yesterday. Why do you ask?"

"One of my fellow Pokemon researchers, Professor Mary Ponderosa, had a daughter named Laurin," Samuel paused for a moment. "Professor Ponderosa wanted the girl to follow in her footsteps and become a great Pokeologist, but Laurin wanted to be an architect. Laurin got a scholarship and went off to study architecture in Viridian City against her mother's wishes. They fought a lot, but Mary decided after her daughter's graduation that she wanted to fix their relationship. She tried to contact Laurin, but the girl had moved out of her apartment, changed her phone number and e-mail address, and possibly even changed her name."

"And she hasn't seen Laurin since?" Delia asked. Suddenly, she realized what the professor was implying. "You think that Kya is Laurin?"

"I only met Laurin a few times, but I'd recognize her anywhere. She looks so much like her mother," Samuel muttered thoughtfully. "Will you do me a favor? Will you try to get Kya to talk to her mother? Professor Ponderosa would kill to know that her daughter is safe."

"I'll try. . ." Delia murmured. "But I can't promise anything."

Delia knew, from experience with Giovanni, that if Kya really hated her mother, there was nothing she could do to help.


	7. Night Falls

_"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable."  
Sydney J. Harris

* * *

_

Before Delia knew it, it was time for the Loyalist meeting in Celedon City. It turned out to be more like a party.

Kya and Domino had rented out The Maplecrest Memorial Pokemon Arena just a couple of miles south of the city. When it wasn't in use during the annual Maplecrest Competition, the public just had to pay a hefty fee, and the building was theirs for a few hours. There was music and Team Rocket members filled the lobby, laughing and having a good time. Delia got a free snack from the concession stand and sat on a bench, waiting for the actual meeting to begin.

Meanwhile, Giovanni wandered through the crowd, feeling very annoyed with certain friends of his. When he had put Kya and Domino in charge of planning this event, he had figured they'd do everything he wanted. Giovanni had pictured a serious, formal assembly. They had turned it into a fun, light-hearted gathering. The bar and concession stand were open, giving out free food and drinks. Giovanni could guess who was paying for those.

To his relief, his event planners had at least had enough sense to hire trusted members of Team Rocket as staff. Secrets could always leak out through one of the Arena's regular employees.

Kya and Domino were still in for a long lecture over the proper spending of his money, however. Giovanni spotted the two women seated at the bar, giggling about something. He frowned. Wasn't Domino too young to be drinking?

"Think the boss will be mad?" Domino asked Kya, flipping her blond hair back and taking another sip of her cocktail.

"Probably," the other woman replied. "He sort of told me that we couldn't use his money for refreshments... We should do something nice for him so he won't be too upset."

"We could buy him a new suit in a different color," Domino suggested. "He doesn't look good in red."

Domino dissolved into a fit of giggles. Kya was having second thoughts about letting the young Team Rocket agent have alcohol. Maybe she should have told the bartender to card people.

Suddenly, Kya became aware of a tall person standing over her. A tall, angry person in a red suit.

"Are you two enjoying yourselves?" Giovanni demanded dryly.

Kya grinned. "Yes. Do you like our party?"

Domino was oblivious to Giovanni's presence and continued to cackle.

"Wow. She only drank half that glass," Kya commented.

Giovanni glared. "We'll talk about it later. But, what were you thinking! This isn't how I planned it!"

It seemed as though Giovanni was about to give a long-winded speech now, despite that fact that he just said they were going to talk about it later.

"Oh, look! Time for the meeting!" Kya grabbed Domino's arm and hurried off in an effort to escape Giovanni's wrath.

* * *

Gradually, people began filing onto the arena's floor where someone had set up chairs. Delia found a seat in the back next to Kya. A man she didn't recognize was addressing Team Rocket.

A short while later, Delia found herself jolted awake. Now a woman was pointing to locations on a map. Embarrassed to have drifted off, she look around to see if anyone noticed that she'd been sleeping. Kya glanced at her and smirked.

"What did I miss?" Delia whispered.

"Not much," Kya answered. "Something about updating security systems, a team needs to flush out Malinite's Team Rocket cells in the Orange Islands... Now Dora Enright's doing a presentation about secure cells in Johto."

The floor of the arena suddenly shook, violently enough to send Dora Enright's easel and map crashing to the ground. A startled murmur rippled through the assembled Team Rocket members. The ground shook again.

"What the hell was that!" Kya exclaimed.

"It doesn't feel like an earthquake," Domino, who had quickly sobered up, gasped.

Delia saw Giovanni standing near the front, his dark eyes darting around, searching for danger.

The ground heaved again, harder this time, sending several people off balance and crashing to the floor. The clear domed ceiling above the stadium cracked which resulted in a few pieces for glass showering them. Over in the stands, plaster broke loose from the roof, falling in chunks and turning everything dusty white. Smoke began to pour into the room as another shake caused almost everyone to loose their footing. The terrible shakes began to repeat themselves every few seconds. The smoke was growing more and more dense.

Panic broke out. Team Rocket Loyalists bolted, trying to remember where the exit was, trying to dodge falling glass and plaster. Others stood still, terrified, too afraid to move. Giovanni was trying to make himself heard over the mob, shouting for order and giving instructions.

The crowd surged around Kya and Delia. They clung together, trying to figure out where to go.

"We came in over there," Delia yelled, pointing to a door, "but we can't make it out that way! There's too much smoke and the roof looks like it's about to collapse!"

"There's another way out over... Where's Domino? She was with us a second ago!" Kya frantically scanned the mass of panicking Rockets, coughing to rid her lungs of the smoke and dust they were inhaling.

Giovanni and a few others he had managed to calm down appeared behind the two women.

"Come this way," he commanded.

He led the group through the hall trainers used to go in and out between battles.

Down the hall was a nearly invisible door, and beyond that was fresh air and sunshine. They had escaped.

"Split into small groups and run for the forest," Giovanni ordered. "You should all know to in this kind of situation."

Delia followed Kya towards the woods. She glanced back to see three large Charizards, all wearing black collars, setting fire to the far side of the Maplecrest Arena. In the distance she could hear the cries of other Pokemon. She assumed they were working on destroying the building too.

As they reached the relative safety of the forest, Delia saw Giovanni turn and begin jogging back towards the stadium. It dawned on her what he was doing.

"Hold on, Kya. I'll catch up," Delia called.

She sprinted out into the open and toward the leader of Team Rocket's retreating figure.

In a few seconds, Delia managed to catch up. She slowed to Giovanni's pace.

"Are... You.. Insane?" She asked between gasps for breath. She wasn't used to running so fast. "You... Can't... Go... Back... In... There."

"I have to. I brought everyone here. It's my responsibility to get them out alive," Giovanni said without emotion.

"You could... be killed," Delia was starting to breathe more normally.

"It's a risk I have to take," he replied in the same stern, toneless voice.

Delia knew she couldn't stop him. He was determined to save those who were loyal to him or die trying. Arguing would do no good. Instead, she grabbed his arm, regretting that she hadn't told Giovanni how she still was in love with him.

"Promise me you'll be careful then," Delia said softly.

Giovanni's cold, emotionless mask faded. He stopped for a moment and turned to face her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I will," he told her.

Delia threw her arms around Giovanni's torso. He hesitated, and then pulled her close. They stayed a few seconds longer, and then he gently pushed Delia away.

"Go with Kya, please," Giovanni instructed. "She'll know what to do. I'll find you later."

He continued running toward the burning stadium. This time, Delia obeyed and hurried back into the cover of the forest.


	8. Waiting

_Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood._

_-Marie Curie_

* * *

Flames were licking the wall on the opposite side of the arena. Thick, black smoke swirled through the air. Ash and dust mingled with the smoke, making breathing extremely difficult. The heat was intense.

Giovanni released his Pokemon. They were sturdy creatures who could withstand anything, even this. He gave them their instructions, and the Pokemon plunged into the arena to search for people trapped inside.

The next few minutes were a blur. Giovanni struggled to keep moving further inside the building. He occasionally stumbled across someone and shouted directions to the exit over the noise of the fire and screams and pounding of Malinite's enslaved Pokemon destroying the building. Time dragged on. Eventually, his Pokemon came back. Giovanni returned them to their Pokeballs. Conditions were getting worse, and he didn't want them exposed to it.

He knew he had to leave the arena. It would be suicide to stay much longer. Had all of his employees escaped? There was nothing else he could do if they hadn't. Giovanni turned and staggered back the way he'd come.

He could barely see, but he was sure this was where the tunnel was. Giovanni blindly stuck out an arm and continued forward. His hand made contact with a solid stone wall. He took several steps to the right, keeping his hand on the wall. Still no exit.

Giovanni started feeling a sudden urge to panic. It didn't help that a large chunk of ceiling broke loose and crashed to the ground just a few feet away. The smoke was so thick... He'd probably suffocate long before the fire reached him.

_Crawl outside during a fire. There's less smoke near the floor._

A memory of his elementary school teacher giving the class a lecture on safety came to mind. Wondering why he hadn't thought of it before and cursing himself for being an idiot, Giovanni dropped to his knees and began to crawl, staying close to the wall. He reached a corner, turned, and kept going. Finally, the wall dropped away, broken by a small corridor. Breathing a sigh of relief, Giovanni scrambled down a few stairs that led to the tunnel.

Summoning his remaining strength, he ran down the corridor and shoved open the door. To his surprise, is was still light out. In fact, the sun seemed to be in almost the same place it had when he went in. To him, the minutes he had spent inside seemed like an eternity.

He could hear sirens in the distance and coming closer. Apparently, someone in Celedon had noticed that the Maplecrest Arena was on fire. Malinite's Pokemon had departed, probably fleeing from the approaching emergency vehicles.

Giovanni knew he should leave the area too. Otherwise he'd have to answer awkward questions. Slowly, wearily, Giovanni trudged toward the forest.

* * *

"Now I feel really bad for laughing at Giovanni when he drilled us about what to do if we were under attack," Kya said glumly, staring down into her tea.

Delia was sitting in Kya's tiny apartment, where the architect lived while she wasn't in Viridian City. Kya explained that each member of Team Rocket had a specific location to evacuate to in case of an emergency. They were instructed to lie low and stay at that spot until they received further instructions. In Kya's case, she was supposed to go to her apartment.

"We are receiving reports that the Maplecrest Pokemon Arena, just outside the city limits, is burning in what firefighters call a 'suspicious blaze'," a female anchor woman on the local news was saying.

At the mention of the arena, Delia and Kya dropped their gloomy conversation and turned their attention to the small TV set shoved against the apartment's wall.

"We're going to Jared Mayor who is live at the scene. Jared?"

"Thanks, Helen. As you can see behind me, fire has consumed most of this stadium, which is home to several popular Pokemon competitions throughout the year. In is unclear at this point as to whether or not the building was in use. There were apparently no witnesses at the scene when firefighters arrived..."

Delia sighed. "Nothing we don't already know," she remarked.

Kya nodded and turned off the TV. There wasn't any point in keeping it on.

The phone rang, making both of them jump. Kya picked it up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

Delia waited tensely. Kya listened and gave short answers. After a couple of minutes, she hung up.

"It was Domino, calling to make sure we were OK. She's trying to find out if everyone... made it out alive," Kya said, settling back in her chair. "Someone should tell us what to do soon..."

* * *

The Celedon City Game Corner's current owners thought they had sealed up the basement. They thought that the old Team Rocket hideout was closed off for good. But Giovanni knew more about the building than they did. Just because the owners couldn't see the entrance didn't mean it wasn't there.

The Game Corner's basement was one of Giovanni's best kept secrets. He kept it neat, well-maintained, and turned the rooms into quarters that could house his employees in an emergency. It was far from luxurious, but it was an excellent hiding place.

Domino sat in one of the largest rooms, calling everyone who had attending the Loyalist meeting on an ancient phone. Before her sat two lists of people. One list had the names of Team Rocket members who were accounted for. The other list contained the names of those who were still missing. In all likelihood, the people on the second list were dead. She had to tell Giovanni.

Domino glanced across the room to where her boss was restlessly pacing. She dreaded having to give him the list of the dead. Giovanni looked worse then she had ever seen him. His red suit was blackened with soot, and his face was gaunt and pale, making the exhausted smudges beneath his eyes stand out. To top it off, his expression was chiseled into the same emotionless mask it always was when Giovanni was upset.

Heaving a sigh, Domino approached her boss, clutching the list in one hand.

"Sir?" she murmured weakly.

Giovanni stopped his pacing and whirled to face her. His gaze went the the paper in her hand.

"How many did we lose?" He asked bluntly.

"Six, sir," Domino cleared her throat nervously. "Six out of the seventy-two who attended."

Giovanni took the list from her and studied it. His expression didn't change, but the lines on his face that were usually impossible to notice seemed to deepen as he examined the names.

_He looks old_, Domino thought to herself. _Old and tired_.

"Domino?"

She snapped to attention. "Yes, sir?"

"I have a plan. I need you to call all of the survivors back."


	9. Stormy Horizons

_"In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain." _

_Pliny the Elder_

_

* * *

_The boat sliced through the clear water. Delia gazed out across the open sea. There wasn't a speck of land in sight. The small craft heaved beneath her feet and occasionally made suspicious groaning noises. 

"Are you sure it's alright for this boat is be so far out in the ocean?" Delia nervously asked the captain, who was sitting on a crate and eating a soggy sandwich.

"It's a ship, not a boat!" the captain barked. "And of course she's seaworthy."

Unconvinced, but saying no more, Delia descended below deck into a dingy corridor lit by bare, dusty bulbs. She shoved open the door to her "cabin", which was more of a cramped prison cell.

Back in Celedon City, Domino had called and told them that they were traveling to a small, unnamed island in the Orange Islands by sea. Domino joined Kya and Delia for the trip and had found transportation for the three of them. Unfortunately, their transportation turned out to be a tiny ship covered with barnacles and rust that was captained by an old fisherman who refused to admit that the boat needed repairs.

"Have fun up on deck?" Kya asked.

"Loads. How's Domino?"

Domino had begun feeling seasick after their first hour of sailing. She now lay on a padded metal shelf the captain had referred to as a bed.

"She's still asleep," Kya replied.

A second shelf was above Domino's, forming a crude bunk bed. Kya was sprawled on the top bunk, doing something on her laptop. Another set of shelves was across a very narrow aisle. Delia sat down on the edge of the unoccupied bottom bed.

"The captain said that we're about fifty miles from the closest island," Delia told her companion.

Kya groaned. "Fifty miles? And we still have to make it to the other side of the archipelago! With this damn boat, we'll be lucky to make there alive."

"Oh, shut up. It was the best I could find," Domino mumbled from her bunk.

"Domino?" Kya asked. When no reply came but some soft snores, she turned to Delia. "Since she's the one who got us stuck on this stupid ship, I say she deserves to be seasick."

Delia struggled to suppress a smile. "Come on, it's not that bad."

Kya eyed her skeptically. "If you say so. I think I'll get some rest. Maybe when we sink I can drown peacefully in my sleep."

Delia turned out the light and lay down on her bed. The sun had almost completely set, but a few feeble rays managed to filter through the cabin's grimy porthole. It was still fairly early, but it had been a while since Delia had managed a good night's sleep.

"'Night, Kya," she muttered as she drifted off.

* * *

Delia was jolted awake. Darkness had engulfed the cabin. The hum of the ship's engine could no longer be heard. She fumbled around and eventually found the light switch. The room was instantly bathed in glaring light. 

"What's going on?" Kya grumbled. "If we've wrecked, I'm going to kill Domino."

"For the last time, it's not my fault!" Domino groaned weakly. "This is all we could afford."

"Giovanni probably would have given us more money if you hadn't gotten drunk and made fun of his suit before the meeting!" Kya snapped irritably.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea to spend the boss's money on all that extra stuff!" Domino retorted, her voice growing stronger.

"Really, you're both being unreasonable," Delia tried to intervene. "I'm sure Giovanni gave us all he could---"

"Besides, I'm not the one who invited traitors to the meeting," Kya glared at the girl in the bed below her.

Domino sat up furiously. She looked strange with her face pale and haggard and her normally neat hair sticking up at odd angles. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Someone had to tip Malinite off about the meeting," Kya said coldly. "And I believe you invited everyone who attended."

"Are you implying that I---"

"Give it a rest! Both of you!" Delia scolded.

The two other women in the cabin fell silent, but continued to scowl at each other.

Great, Delia thought. All we need is people on the same side to start fighting.

"I'm going back to sleep," Domino growled, flopping backwards and pulling her sheets over her head.

"I can't see anything outside," Kya ignored Domino and tried to peer out the filthy porthole.

"I'll see if I can find the captain," Delia strode out of the room and up the dingy stairs at the end of the corridor.


	10. Opal Island

"_Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time."_

_E.B. White_

* * *

The breeze outside was chilly and the sky was still filled with threatening black clouds. Raindrops continued to fall, but more lightly than before. Squinting through the rain, Delia could make out a hulking land mass a short distance away. At least they weren't about to drown in the middle of the ocean with no one to help them.

Suddenly, Delia heard someone curse.

"Damn. No way we can fix her ourselves," the captain was saying to one of his crew members.

"Um..." Delia interrupted nervously. "What can't we fix?"

"Hit a sandbar and snapped the rudder," the captain grumbled distractedly. "Good thing we're close to Opal Island. I'm pretty sure I can get us over there. The wind will blow us right to shore."

An hour later, the captain and his four crew members were finished anchoring the vessel just off a deserted beach. They were now preparing a small lifeboat for launch. Delia fetched her cabin mates, and they trudged up on deck, dragging their bags with them.

"What do we do now?" Kya asked as she and Delia dropped their luggage into the boat.

Domino followed behind them, unusually quiet and still looking queasy.

"We could try to find another boat," Domino mumbled. "We don't have time to wait for the rudder to be repaired."

"Everyone in," the captain ordered climbing to the bow of the of the small craft.

The lifeboat was lowered into the waves, and one of the crew members started up the ancient motor. It sputtered to life and slowly began propelling them toward the beach. Before going back for the two remaining members of his crew that hadn't fit in the lifeboat, the captain helped them unload their bags and assured them he would be back shortly.

They dropped their luggage on a patch of grass beneath a large tree and stood shivering as they tried to figure out what to do. The storm had finally passed and the sun was beginning to rise, but it was only starting to warm the cool, damp air.

"If we had the boss's number, we could just call him," Domino muttered. "He would send someone to get us."

"I have it!" Kya said triumphantly. "He called my cell phone a couple days ago, right before we got on the boat. It'll still be in the memory."

Kya dug through her suitcase and located her phone.

"What's the number?" Domino asked eagerly.

"Six, seven, eight, seven, eight, five, eight," Kya read off before pressing the call button and holding the phone to her ear.

Delia sat down on a rock that looked somewhat dry. She was beginning to feel drowsy and wished she hadn't been forced to get up so early.

"Six, seven, eight, seven, eight, five, eight," Domino was chanting as she committed the phone number to memory. "Six, seven, eight, seven, eight, five, eight."

Kya suddenly swore loudly. "I can't believe this!"

"What?" Delia jerked out of the trance she had been going into.

"My battery died!" Kya moaned. "Before anyone picked up, the line went dead!"

"Is there a problem?" the captain asked, returning with the rest of his crew.

"We need to call someone," Kya explained. "Do you know where we could find a phone?"

"We don't have anything besides a radio on board. You'll have to hike to the other side of the island since this part is completely uninhabited." The captain glanced at his watch. "My first mate Kevin was just about to start off for the village and find someone to help us tow the ship in for repairs. You can go with him if you'd like."


	11. The Second Attack

"_What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better."_

_Wendell Phillips

* * *

_

Kevin knew his way around the island and guided the group to the top of a rocky ridge.

"Er... I think we'd better take a break," Kevin announced, looking down the hill.

Delia followed the young man's gaze and saw Kya struggling up the steep incline. The hike was strenuous, and Kya was no athlete. She hadn't complained once, but she was beginning to fall behind. Domino sat down in the shade, grateful for the reprieve.

"I'll go help Kya," Delia told them, trudging back down the dusty slope.

"This is pathetic," Kya muttered, clearly frustrated. "I'm in such bad shape! I try to work out, but I never have time."

"You're doing fine," Delia tried to reassure her. "Here, let me take your bag for a while."

"It's okay. I don't need other people to do my work."

"Let's sit down for a minute then," Delia suggested. "We could both use a rest."

Kya threw herself down beneath one of the few trees that managed to survive on the barren, rocky hill. Her face was flushed and glistened with sweat. Delia handed her a water bottle.

"Drink all of that. You're dehydrated and could have a heat stroke if you keep this up."

"Aren't we keeping Domino and Kevin waiting?" Kya asked as she sipped the tepid water.

"They're taking a break too. Don't worry about slowing them down."

Kya looked out from behind the tree. From where they were sitting, a huge slab of rock blocked their companions from view.

"Do you hear that?" Delia asked suddenly.

Kya strained her ears.

"It sounds like Domino yelling," she remarked after a moment.

"Should we go check on them?" Delia wondered.

The two women listened in silence for a few minutes. The noise didn't repeat itself. The only sound came from the birds singing in the trees.

"She's probably just having a stupid argument with Kevin," Kya said, frowning. "... But maybe we should get going."

Kya drained the last of the water from the bottle and hefted her bag. Delia followed her up the steep bluff. They paused to rest for a moment halfway up.

"This hill... is a lot... longer than it looks," Kya gasped.

They continued the climb and, at last, reached the top of the ridge. No one was there waiting for them.

"Domino? Kevin?" Kya called.

There was no reply.

"Maybe they went on without us," Delia surmised. "The village is just down the hill. We can see it from here."

"I guess they might have gone to find a phone and are going to come back. But you'd think at least one of them would stay behind and wait."

A low groan suddenly issued from the tall grass behind them. Delia retraced their steps and found the source.

"Kya! Come help me!" She called. "He's bleeding!"

Kevin was lying facedown, a trickle of blood oozing from his dark hair. Delia carefully rolled him over, making sure she disturbed his back and neck as little as possible in case his spine had been injured.

"Kevin, can you hear me?" Kya asked, crouching down beside Delia.

The young man's gray eyes flickered open.

Delia, who had spent years working as a nurse, began giving him a quick checkup. Kya waited impatiently while Kevin confirmed that he could move his arms, his legs, that he knew where he was... Finally, satisfied that he wasn't seriously injured, Delia asked him what had happened.

"I'm not really sure... There was a group of people wearing gray uniforms. They drove up in a truck. I thought they were tourists, or something. They started talking to that girl, Domino. All the sudden she was yelling at them, and they were dragging her towards the car. I tried to stop them, but then they grabbed me," Kevin fell silent and grimaced. "My head hurts..."

Delia gave him a moment before she spoke. "What happened after that?"

Kya exchanged looks with the other woman. This was not going to turn out well.

"One of the men told me if I wanted to see Domino alive again, I'd give my boss the envelope he was holding by tomorrow morning. He threw the envelope at me, and then one of them hit me from behind. I think that's when I blacked out."

Kevin sighed and laid back down on the ground.

"They thought you were a member of Team Rocket," Kya groaned.

"Team Rocket?" Kevin looked puzzled.

"What happened to the envelope?" Delia asked.

"It landed over there somewhere," the young man gestured to his left.

Kya went and searched through the long grass.

"Here it is!"

Delia slowly helped Kevin to his feet. It looked as though he had a mild concussion and probably needed to see a doctor soon. She glanced over at Kya who had shredded the envelope and was reading the enclosed message.

"What does it say?"

Kya frowned. "It just has tomorrow's date, ten o'clock AM, and a phone number."

Delia closed her eyes to clear her exhausted mind. "Okay. Let's get down to the village."


	12. The New Headquarters

"_All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."_

_Edmund Burke

* * *

_

After bringing Kevin to a doctor and parting ways with him, Delia and Kya wandered into a small cafe and located a pay phone.

"Do you remember what Giovanni's number was?" Kya asked, fishing some change out of her pocket.

Delia thought back to earlier that morning. Domino had been repeating the phone number over and over...

"Try six, seven, eight, seven, eight, five, eight," Delia instructed.

Kya punched in the number and waited. Apparently, someone answered, and Kya started speaking in a low voice. Delia sat down in a nearby booth. She almost wished she had just stayed back in Pallet Town. This was more excitement then she had bargained for.

Kya hung up and seated herself across from Delia. "A helicopter is on the way."

* * *

Giovanni put down the phone and pulled a map out of a large folder. On it, he had marked the route each group of Loyalists had been planning to take to the island. A neat red line indicated the path Delia, Kya, and Domino had traveled. After checking the weather forecast for the region, Giovanni had also marked the island the three of them would probably be forced to stop at due to the storm. Locations where three other parties would be stopping were marked as well. 

And now one member from each of those parties was missing.

He looked up, his dark eyes sweeping the empty conference room. Only his eight highest ranking and most trusted officers were allowed in here. In order to enter the room, one had to press their hand against a sensor to have their fingerprints checked, and a special key was needed for the door.

Last night, Giovanni had left the folder containing the map in the conference room. The four disappearances were too suspicious to be a coincidence.

"Which one?" Giovanni wondered aloud, gazing at the eight empty seats. "Which one betrayed Team Rocket?"

* * *

With a gentle bump, the helicopter came to rest on the landing pad. The roar of the engine died away, and moments later, the door swung open. 

"I'll take your bags," a young servant announced, hefting Delia and Kya's luggage.

Delia climbed down onto the landing pad, and her eyes came to rest on a lone figure who was clad in a stylish white suit, waiting for them. She couldn't help breaking into a smile.

"Hector!" She called. "Is that you?"

Hector Cruz, who had been Giovanni's best friend since they were children, came striding toward them.

"It's been far too long, Delia," Hector beamed, shaking her hand.

"Yes, it has," she replied.

When was the last time she had seen Hector? Had they really not been together since Madame Boss's funeral? Just days after that, Hector had left to travel abroad for several months. She had never had the opportunity to see him since.

"Welcome to my island, the new Team Rocket Headquarters," Hector grinned and led the two women to a waiting car. "The main house is on the other side of the island. I don't know if you saw it from the air. Most of Team Rocket is camping outside, but there are rooms indoors reserved for you."

"What did you do to be able to afford an entire island, Hector?" Delia wondered as she surveyed the magnificent tropical landscape from the air conditioned vehicle.

"I expanded Cruz Industries quite a bit after my father retired," Hector answered, leaning back in the leather seat. "Business has never been better."

"You haven't been doing anything illegal, have you?" Delia asked, only half-joking.

Hector winked. "Of course not. Questionable, maybe, but not illegal."

The car sped around a sharp curve. Delia looked over the driver's shoulder and saw row after row of tents. Team Rocket agents lounged in whatever shade they could find, looking bored.

"There's this many people here?" Delia breathed.

"Yep. Every Loyalist Giovanni could find has trickled in over the past few days," Hector responded. "It's a bit difficult to have supplies for all of them shipped out here without arousing suspicion, but we're managing."

The vehicle rumbled through the makeshift campsites and lurched to a stop outside a large building.

"This is my home," Hector told them, "Cruz Manor. My assistants will take your bags. I was asked to bring you straight to Giovanni."

Silently, the two women followed Hector down a brightly lit hallway and up a flight of stairs.

"In here," Hector motioned to a small room on the right.

Delia hesitated, then followed Kya inside. Giovanni was standing at a long table studying several diagrams spread out in front of him when they entered. He glanced up at the sound of their footsteps.

"We're finally here," Kya announced with a hint of a smile.

"That's the first good news I've had in days," Giovanni replied, slumping into a chair with a sigh.

Delia pulled up chairs for herself and Kya and took a seat across the table from Giovanni.

"Will you tell me again what happened back on Opal Island?" he asked.

Kya told most of the story while Delia supplied occasional details. Giovanni was quiet for a long time.

"So I have to call this number tomorrow morning?" he finally said, taking the note that had been left for him.

"I guess so," Kya murmured.

"What else is wrong?" Delia asked.

Giovanni glanced up sharply. "What?"

"There's something you haven't told us," Delia responded.

Giovanni met her eyes for a few moments. "Team Rocket was betrayed. One of my highest ranking officers sold Domino and three other Loyalists out to Malinite."

"Do you have any idea who it was?" Kya's voice was barely more than a whisper.

A humorless smile flickered across Giovanni's face. "No. Of my eight most trusted officers, seven of them had access to the information of your whereabouts. Domino was supposed to be the eighth person," he shoved a sheet of paper in their direction. "Here are their names."

Delia examined the list over Kya's shoulder:

_Jonathan Leevy_

_Michael Woods_

_Cassidy Iverson_

_Butch Newton_

_Andrea Kanan_

_Becca Bosworth_

_Paul Tulich_

Delia vaguely recalled a few of the names, but she couldn't remember any of the faces they belonged to.

"Well," Giovanni broke the silence that had settled over the room, "both of you should probably get some rest. It's been a long day for you. Your rooms are to the right, the second and third doors from the end. Do you need any help?"

"No, we'll figure it out," Kya replied, shuffling to the door.

"I'll be there in a minute," Delia told Kya.

Kya disappeared down the hall, and Delia turned back to Giovanni, who was still sitting at the table. She wanted to see Giovanni, but at the same time, she dreaded being alone in the same room with him. Their conversations were always so awkward... It was a painful reminder of how much things had changed.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, fine," he replied absently, gathering up his charts on the table.

"You seem really stressed."

"I wonder why that would be," Giovanni remarked sarcastically. He paused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

Delia shrugged. "It's okay," she sat down on the edge of the table, a few feet away from him. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you can telepathically kill Malinite," Giovanni said dryly.

Delia smiled. "I'll see what I can do after I get some sleep."

"I guess I'll see you this evening then," Giovanni snapped his briefcase shut.

Delia slid off the table. After an instant's hesitation, she bent down and lightly kissed his forehead before turning to go.

"Um. . . Delia?" Giovanni got to his feet.

"Yeah?" she looked back at him.

Suddenly, his arm was around her waist and his lips were pressed against hers. Startled, Delia couldn't do anything at first. Then she slid her arms around Giovanni, pulling him closer.

Delia grinned when they broke apart. "I'll see you later."


	13. The Traitor

_A friend is a second self._

_Aristotle

* * *

_

Kya sat in front of the mirror in the small bedroom that had been given to her. She had tried to sleep, but her restless mind wouldn't allow her to. Every time she tried to relax, she remembered Domino. She was most likely at Malinite's headquarters by now, probably alone and scared...

Kya absently ran a brush through her long hair. She felt terrible for arguing with Domino back on the ship. She had never even had the chance to apologize, and now one of her friends was in the grasp of their enemies.

With a soft sigh, Kya set the brush down with a clatter and wandered out into the hallway. Everything was deserted and quiet. It took quite some time, but at last she located Giovanni and Hector. In a small, damp cellar, the two men sat in a makeshift office, gazing onto a computer screen. They glanced up as she entered.

"Interesting spot to work," Kya commented. "Aren't there better places upstairs?"

"Sure, but there's fewer interruptions down here," Hector shifted in his chair. "I must say, it isn't particularly comfortable though."

"Trying to figure out who the traitor is?" Kya asked, noticing the grim lines etched onto Giovanni's face.

"Yes," the leader of Team Rocket glowered at the monitor of the computer, not in a very talkative mood.

"Want help?"

"Weren't you going to rest for a while?" Hector asked.

"I changed my mind."

"Well, you can look through here," Hector heaved a crate full of papers onto the desk between himself and Kya. "We printed a bunch of stuff off the Team Rocket archives. Go ahead and take a chunk. See if you see anything suspicious."

Not relishing the tedious task but glad to be doing something useful, Kya took a stack of papers off the top. She went back upstairs and sat outside under the shade of a tree to begin reading.

She went over page after page without seeing anything of great consequence. Then she turned to Andrea Kanan's file.

Kya didn't really know Andrea well. She was the only one of Giovanni's officers who had ever been stationed in the Orange Islands for more than a few months at a time. Kya frowned as she studied the list of locations the woman had worked. Some of them were known to be near Malinite's headquarters.

As she went through more of the file, Kya noticed some other suspicious pieces of information. A few years before, Andrea's partner had been a woman named Samantha Gates. Kya knew the name. Samantha had once been a member of Giovanni's Team Rocket Elite, but had left the Loyalists months ago to work for Malinite. There was also a three week period where there were no records of Andrea's whereabouts. All members of Team Rocket were expected to check into the headquarters once a week, in person or by phone, and report their location and the status of their current assignment. Had Andrea merely forgotten to check in during those three weeks? The policy wasn't strictly enforced, and most Team Rocket agents had accidentally forgotten to call the headquarters at one point or another. Or was it possible that Andrea was doing something during that time period that she didn't want anyone to find out about?

Kya made a quick note of her findings and continued sifting through the files. Unable to find anything else that seemed important, Kya gathered the stack of papers and went back down into the basement for more.

"Find anything?" Hector looked up from the files he had chosen to examine.

"Yeah," Kya pulled out a small notebook she had recorded her findings in and tossed it on the desk in front of Hector. "I don't know if it's relevant, but I found some things about Andrea Kanan that look strange."

"Really? We were looking for information on Kanan earlier. We found some kind of weird stuff too," Hector said as he glanced over Kya's notes.

Kya waited to see what Giovanni had to say, but she suddenly realized that he was absent. "You're down here by yourself?" Kya asked Hector.

Hector shrugged. "Giovanni wandered off about ten minutes ago. I think he mumbled something about checking something upstairs . . . I don't know, he's in a weird mood. Anyway, look at this."

Hector went to the computer and brought up a file. Kya settled into the empty chair beside him.

"This program keeps track of everyone who enters the conference room Giovanni was using," Hector explained. "Between 412 and 428 this morning, all seven of the Team Rocket Officers accessed the room. Apparently, they were having some sort of private meeting. They do that occasionally. Now look here. Andrea Kanan was the first one to arrive. The second person, Michael Woods, didn't get there until 419 am."

"So if Kanan got there at 412, she would have had seven minutes to look at the folder Giovanni left in the conference room by herself," Kya finished for him.

Hector nodded. "Exactly. Suspicious, no?"

* * *

Giovanni stared blankly at the open binder in front of him. He could have sworn that what he was looking for had been important, but suddenly he couldn't recall what it was. He probably needed to sleep more. Maybe that would help him concentrate. But there was no time. Too much needed to be done.

After a few more minutes of trying in vain to remember why he was looking at the data in front of him, Giovanni snapped the binder shut and put it away. It was a waste of his time.

He sat still for a long time, trying to figure out what to do next. He knew that he should go back to the cellar and help Hector, but he felt like taking a break. Maybe it would help him concentrate better.

Giovanni's thoughts drifted to Delia, and he decided that he needed to talk to her. Now would be a perfect time for them to be alone while everyone else was occupied with other things. She might still be sleeping, but it wouldn't hurt to check. He rose from his chair and left the room.

No sooner had he stepped through the door, Giovanni collided with someone out in the hallway. He was about to berate the imbecile for not watching where they were going when he realized that it was Delia.

"I'm sorry," Giovanni decided to apologize instead. "I was actually just about to go looking for you."

"You were?" Delia grinned and walked past him into the room. She strode to the window and opened it a few inches allowing a breeze the drift inside. "It's a beautiful day. I was just outside talking to Kya. She said I might find you here."

Giovanni went to stand beside her. They looked out across the beach to the ocean where the sunlight danced on the water, and Giovanni wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Delia leaned against him, trying to think. Ever since the day at the arena, she had been meaning to tell him that she loved him, but she couldn't find a way to eloquently say it.

"Delia?" Giovanni suddenly interrupted her train of thought.

"Yeah?"

"This may sound weird, but. . ." his voice trailed off.

After a few moments of silence, Delia prodded him with her elbow. "What sounds weird?"

"I still love you."

Delia couldn't immediately respond. It took her a few seconds to comprehend that Giovanni had just said what she'd been trying to find a way to.

"Really?" Delia internally cringed at the sudden shrillness of her voice. She quickly composed herself before she continued. "I mean, that's good because I love you too."

Both of them were quiet for a moment. They just stood together, admiring the beauty of the island.

"I'm glad you're here," Giovanni said softly.

Delia smiled rested her head on his shoulder. "Me too."

* * *

Meanwhile, a lone Team Rocket agent wandered away from the camp where the rest of the Loyalists were sitting and enjoying the warm sunshine. She ducked inside an old, dusty storage shed. Casting a nervous glance out the grimy window, she pulled a phone out of her pocket and quickly punched a number into the keypad.

"Hello?" a bored female voice answered on the second ring.

"Put me through to Malinite," the agent said softly, her watchful eyes scanning the beach for eavesdroppers. "It's his spy."

There was a pause. The agent realized that she'd been put on hold. Clenching her free hand into a fist, she tapped her foot impatiently. She didn't have time to wait or people might start wondering where she was. She had been so careful not to draw suspicion to herself. . .

There was a click and the woman with the bored voice was back.

"One moment, please," she said.

There was another click and suddenly Malinite was speaking. "This is the spy?"

"Yes, Sir. I have some information for you. A couple hours ago, two women arrived on the island. I think they delivered your message to Giovanni."

"You're sure?" Malinite asked.

"Yes. I heard someone say the two of them had come from Opal Island. That was one of the places some Loyalists would be stopping."

"Indeed. That operation was a success," Malinite replied. "Well done. Call me again if anything important happens."

"Yes, Sir."

The spy hung up and tucked her phone back into her pocket. With one final glance around to make sure no one was watching, she plastered a cheerful smile on her face and hurried to join the Loyalists once more.


	14. Malinite's Demand

_"Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict."_

_William Ellery Channing_

* * *

Giovanni grimaced and punched the phone number into the keypad. Someone answered on the first ring.

"I presume that this is Giovanni?" a cool, mocking voice drawled.

"What do you want, Malinite?" Giovanni snapped.

"We'll get to that in a moment," Malinite replied smugly. "First, there's something I'd like to show you. Are you at a videophone?"

Giovanni glared at the blank screen in front of him. "Yes."

"Turn the monitor on," Malinite ordered.

With a weary sigh, Giovanni hit a button and watched the screen flicker to life. Malinite's face leered on the videophone's monitor. The camera zoomed out to show Malinite standing at one end of a long table. Sitting alongside him were the four missing Loyalists. All were blindfolded and had their bound hands resting on the table in front of them. Domino sat directly on Malinite's right, her head held high. There was probably a defiant scowl on her face, but it was hidden beneath the blindfold. The other three, two men and a woman, looked less confident.

"As you can see," Malinite sneered, "your precious Loyalists are here with me. I know you wouldn't want anything to happen to them, particularly to this one," he laid a hand on Domino's shoulder. She flinched and attempted to pull away. "She's one of your top officers, is she not? For the time being, they are safe, as long as you meet my demands."

"Which are?" Giovanni tried his best to sound indifferent.

"They're quite simple, really. Come to my headquarters. You may bring one bodyguard, no one else. We will have a discussion about dividing the leadership of Team Rocket between us, and when we reach a satisfactory agreement, you and your employees are free to go. My headquarters are located---"

"Don't listen to him, sir!" Domino interrupted. "He's lying! He's going to---"

Malinite turned and nonchalantly backhanded Domino, causing her to slam into the young man next to her. Domino's hands clenched into fists, but she didn't say anything else.

"As I was saying, my headquarters are on an island known as Makell. Any sailor that's spent time in the Orange Islands will be able to give you the coordinates. I'll expect you in the harbor on the west side tomorrow at noon. If you disappoint me by not showing up, one of them," Malinite gestured at the Loyalists, "is going to end up dead. I'll kill one every day until you show up."

Giovanni didn't reply. Tense silence hung in the air, and a cruel smile spread across Malinite's face, distorting his features.

"Good day to you, Giovanni."

The line went dead and the images vanished from the screen.

* * *

"Malinite's obviously lying. We don't need Domino to tell us that," Giovanni muttered that afternoon, pacing the length of the conference room. 

Delia, Kya, and Hector, the only three people on the island that Giovanni still trusted, were lounging at the table. Every other Loyalist on the island could potentially be a spy.

"Regardless, you'll need to show up at his headquarters," Hector pointed out. "I doubt he's joking about killing the captives. Who will your bodyguard be?"

Giovanni stared at him blankly. "I don't know... I haven't thought about it yet."

"I'd go with Cassidy or Butch," Kya asserted. "They've worked for you the longest, so the traitor probably isn't one of them. Hector and I checked all the files we could find on them, and their records are clean."

"Don't pick Butch," Hector absently adjusted his tie. "He really doesn't seem very bright."

"Can't I take one of you?" Giovanni asked irritably. He found Cassidy extremely annoying.

"Not if you want a bodyguard who's any good in a fight," Kya replied. "Well, maybe Delia or Hector would do okay, but you'd be better off going alone than taking me."

"Sorry, Giovanni, but I don't think I'd make a great bodyguard either," Delia said.

"You know perfectly well that I'd just get in the way. Anyhow, I'm assuming you're going to use this as an opportunity to permanently get rid Malinite?" Hector changed the subject.

"It's probably the best chance we'll have," Giovanni responded. "I just can't see a logical way to do it. Makell Island will be crawling with Malinite's minions, and I don't know if we have enough people to fight them."

Besides, they'll be expecting an attack," Delia pointed out. "Since Malinite told you where he is, he expects you to try to fight him."

"True," Giovanni sighed. "It would be best if we could take them by surprise, but they'll be watching the water and sky for us. I don't think there's any way to get around the fact that Malinite will know our forces are coming."

"I think we still have a hope of being successful," Hector announced. "There's around five hundred Loyalist here on the island, right? We have enough weapons for all of them and enough boats for transportation. We even have some combat unit aircraft. Makell Island is about forty miles northwest of here," Hector hit some keys on a computer and a projection of Makell appeared on the blank wall behind Giovanni. "The Loyalists can land on that little peninsula on the south side and invade the island from there."

Giovanni nodded. "We'll order everyone to be ready to leave first thing in the morning without telling them what's happening. They will receive their orders en route to Makell. That way, Malinite's spies won't know everything we're planning until it's too late for them to do anything about it. I'll take my bodyguard... Cassidy, I suppose, and leave first, so we can get to the island by noon. Everyone else can begin landing about a half hour after we do."

"How will the rest of the Loyalists know what to do if you're already gone?" Kya asked.

"I'll leave the three of you in command," Giovanni resumed his restless pacing at the front of the room. "If something goes wrong and I don't make it back, I'm sure you can figure out a plan."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

"Okay then," Kya said softly, "let's get a strategy together for tomorrow."


	15. Makell Island

_"Doubt whom you will, but never yourself."_

_Christine Bovee_

Giovanni was tired. After spending the night scheming with Hector, Kya, and Delia, he had only had a few hours to rest. Now he was climbing aboard the tiny boat that would take him and Cassidy to Makell Island.

"Ready, Sir?" Cassidy asked, glancing over her shoulder at him.

Giovanni nodded gravely, and the boat's motor roared to life. As the small craft sped away from the island, he turned back and scanned the shoreline. It was deserted. That had been the plan. Everyone else was congregating on the opposite side, getting ready to board their own boats.

Cassidy studied the map in the seat next to her as she piloted the craft. "We should be right on time, Sir. It's about eleven o'clock, and Makell is an hour long trip from here."

"Very good," Giovanni replied. "Shut down all of our communication devices now."

"Sir?" Cassidy frowned.

"My advisors and I decided it was best if no transmissions were sent or received by this boat."

Looking disgruntled, Cassidy obeyed, turning off their radios. Giovanni had known she wouldn't be happy when she realized she hadn't been included in the group that planned the expedition. Always ambitious, Cassidy constantly strove to be the best among Team Rocket's elite.

Thinking of his inner circle reminded Giovanni of Delia. He wished he had had more of an opportunity to say goodbye to her. They'd had only a few rushed minutes to themselves before they were required to go their separate ways.

Neither Giovanni nor Cassidy spoke as the boat glided through the waves. Cassidy quietly guided them toward their destination, and Giovanni went over the plan in his head, over and over again.

The sun climbed higher into the sky, glaring fiercely off the water. Time seemed to pass much more quickly than usual.

"There's Makell just up ahead," Cassidy announced.

Giovanni glanced up, startled. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had nearly forgotten what lay ahead.

Cassidy expertly steered the boat into the deserted harbor on the western side of the island. All was quiet and still except for the waves slapping against the dock. Small buildings lined the harbor, most of them boarded up. The remains of two small skiffs, both heavily battered, bobbed up and down in the surf.

"This is creepy," Cassidy whispered, following Giovanni out of the boat.

The harbor was smothered in eerie silence. The two of them made their way down the pier, the empty buildings seeming to close in around them. A bank of clouds rolled across the sun, and a cloak of mist shrouded everything in a gray haze.

"Giovanni!" a voice suddenly called from behind them.

They whirled around, and Malinite emerged from the shadows of one of the structures. His bodyguard, an enormous man who could probably pick Cassidy up and throw her, trailed behind.

"Malinite." Giovanni bowed his head in polite greeting.

Malinite smiled coldly. "I knew you would be here."

Giovanni said nothing in reply. He was in Malinite's territory. One wrong move could cost him and his supporters everything.

Seeing that Giovanni wasn't going to respond, Malinite started walking up the pier.

"Come on, follow," he ordered, leading the way.

Malinite's hulking bodyguard fell into step behind Giovanni and Cassidy, clearly watching for any threatening movements. Giovanni cast a subtle sideways glance at his own bodyguard. Cassidy appeared calm at first glance, but beads of sweat were forming at her hairline, and her eyes darted around nervously.

The deserted dock opened up into a wide street, which was also still and lifeless. A short ways in the distance, an immense, elegant building jutted upwards toward the sky. Whatever material the building was constructed from, it was jet black and gleaming.

"My headquarters," Malinite informed him, pointing at the ebony building. "Impressive, is it not?"

Once again, Giovanni didn't comment. Malinite kept walking, apparently not expecting an answer. They reached the entrance of Malinite's headquarters, and the huge wooden doors swung open on silent hinges.

"I thought we could talk in my study," Malinite announced, gesturing to a flight of stairs.

Giovanni complied and followed Malinite to the top of the staircase, Cassidy and Malinite's bodyguard trailing behind. Giovanni's only goal was to stall for time. All he needed to do was keep Malinite talking long enough for the Loyalists to reach the island. He was sure he could do it. Allowing Giovanni to bring a bodyguard was a sign that Malinite actually intended to talk. If he wanted Giovanni dead, he easily could have told him to come alone and killed him at the harbor.

"Please, sit down," Malinite said pleasantly. "Would you care for a drink?"

"No, thank you," Giovanni sat on the edge of the sofa Malinite had pointed at.

"Very well," Malinite settled into the armchair across from Giovanni.

His bodyguard slipped into the shadows, coolly observing the meeting. Cassidy hovered nearby, looking awkward.

"Now," Malinite began, "I would like to discuss a change in the leadership of Team Rocket..."


End file.
